Obama refused to debate knowledgable youth

Listen to Zach Lahn, a student at the University of Colorado challenging President Barack Obama (D) to a debate on health care, asking Obama hard questions on his health care insurance reform plans. 

Rachel Martin and Sunlen Miller of ABC News provide the transcript. 

I'd love to have a debate, just all out, anytime, Oxford-style, if you'd like," Lahn said to President Obama and then proceeded on with his question. "How in the world can a private corporation providing insurance compete with an entity that does not have to worry about making a profit, does not have to pay local property taxes -- they do not have to -- they're not subject to local regulations? How can a company compete with that?"

Later, during an interview, Lahn expressed his disappointment in Obama's response.

I'm not trying to incite any uproar. I just want an answer. The American people deserve an answer," he said. "We have a Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security is bankrupting our country and we're supposed to put more faith in the federal government? If you cant ride a bike don't hop on the motorcycle, you know?"

Lahn said he got the same old talking points from the President.

"The truthful answer is there is no way a private company can -- when businesses start writing off their employees to save money by putting off a public plan, how can insurance companies survive at all? They are just being demonized in this whole situation."

Lahn, a Republican who has volunteered for campaigns and most recently Sen. John McCain's presidential run, said that he's still waiting for a real debate with Obama.

"Anytime that he would like to do a debate, I am open for a debate," he said. "I have facts on my side."

In this 40th anniversary week of the excesses of a certain segment of an earlier generation of youth at Woodstock, Lahn's solid response is a sign of hope for the youth of this generation.